Overview

Hype:

Wife 6 Canyon, part of the "Wives" canyoneering routes near Cohab Canyon in Capitol Reef National Park, offers a technical and exhilarating descent. This slot canyon features three rappels, ranging from 35 to 80 feet, each with natural anchors such as bushes or boulders. The approach involves hiking from the Fruita Campgrounds to Cohab Canyon, where navigational tools like GPS are recommended to identify the correct canyon. The canyon is a mix of stunning sandstone formations and technical challenges, making it ideal for experienced adventurers seeking a blend of beauty and skill-testing obstacles. Permits are required, but they are free and available at the visitor center. For those seeking variety, this canyon is part of a series of routes, each offering unique experiences in the rugged Capitol Reef landscape?.

Canyon Rating: 3A

Time: 4-6 hours

Length: 0.16 miles with 1 mile approach from trailhead to Betrothed and 0.3 mile approach from Betrothed to top of Wife 6

Longest Rappel: 3 rappels to 80 ft

Gear: Standard canyoneering gear.

Fees: None

Recommended Ages:

	0-3
	4-11
	12-19
	20-49
	50-69
	70+

Recommended Months to Visit:

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Permits: Permits are required https://www.nps.gov/care/planyourvisit/canyoneering.htm

Links: http://www.bluugnome.com/cyn_route/cap-reef/cap-reef_the-wives/cap-reef_the-wives.aspx

Getting There

Navigate to 38.283433, -111.246052.

Parking in the parking lot on the north side of the road.

Route

Approach

Hike up Cohab Canyon until you get to Betrothed Canyon. Then take the cliff route south past Betrothed Canyon until you get up on top of the cliffs. Stay relatively high as you travel west to the top of the canyon.

Route

Bypassing a drop by down climbing to a sandy ledge. Work through the boulders to the first two-stage rappel of 80 ft. 

A downclimb leads to rap 2, about 55 ft. Brushy!

Rap 3, about 33 ft. leads to an easy stroll back to Cohab Canyon.

Maps

Closest City or Region: Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

Coordinates: 38.281064, -111.239741

Interactive Guide Map

Download Guide Map

View map fullscreen.

August 31, 2024 Trip Report

By Jeremy Dye

Trip Members

Jeremy Dye, Tara Dye, Savannah Dye, Madilyn Dye, Cooper Dye, Matt Laurendeau, Amanda Laurendeau, Alex Laurendeau, Caleb Laurendeau, Rose Laurendeau, Lila Laurendeau, Trey Laurendeau,

Logistics

Trailhead: 8:20

Top of Wife 6: 9:40

Bottom of Wife 6: 12:00

Top of Wife 1: 1:35

Bottom of Wife 1: 4:35

Trailhead: 4:50

Story

We set our alarms for 7:00, had breakfast, and got everyone packed for our canyon day. Morning came early for the Laurendeaus because Trey had thrown up a couple times in the night. We left Torrey shortly after 8:00 and got to Capital Reef in good time. We filled out a permit and tried to drive to the trailhead for Cassidy Arch canyon, but we found out that the road was closed, so we made some adjustments to our plans. We decided to do the Wives instead. 

We did Wife 6 first. We rappelled all the down climbs and stopped for lunch in an alcove at the bottom of the canyon. Then we circled around and descended Wife 1 last. We rappelled a ton of the drops that could have been down climbed by capable climbers, so it took several hours. We finished up around 5:00 or 6:00 p.m. and went back to camp for dinner. It was a little bit more effort than the littlest kids wanted, but for the most part everyone had a great time.

View map fullscreen

Pictures